Letter file



Apf.24,1923f 1,453,096

' E. ERICKSOIN LETTER FILE.

Filed April 18 1922 Emu via 20 E Erzlcfirsow W z'ww Patented Apr. 2 1923.

STATES EDWARD ERICKSON, OF FRESNO, CALIFORNIA.

LETTER FILE.

Application filed April 18, 1922. Serial No. 554,941.

The invention has as a further object to provide a letter file wherein the letters or sheets will be firmly clamped within the file so that mussing, wrinkling or loss of the sheets will be prevented.

The invention has as a still further object to provide a file wherein all the letters or sheets therein may be readily inspected in dividually without the necessity for removi ing any of said sheets or letters from the And the invention has a still further object to provide a file well adapted to be constructed as a drawer and thus embodied in a file cabinet.

Other and incidental objects will appear hereinafter.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the manner in which the letter file of the present invention may be embodied in a cabinet,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the device,

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows,

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the clamping spring of the device in detail, and

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the retaining spring of the device in detail.

In carrying the invention into effect, I employ a casing which may be in the nature of a drawer. having side walls 10, inner and outer end walls 11, and a bottom wall 12. Mounted upon the outer end wall is an appropriate handle 13. In thus forming the casing of the device as a drawer, a number of the files may, as suggested in Figure 1, be conveniently assembled in a cabinet, the cabinetbeing conventionally illustrated at 14. In such instance, the drawers will preferably be lettered alphabetically so as to facilitate the filing of letters or other papers therein. Secured to the side walls of the casing is a cross strip 15 overlying the upper edge of the inner end wall of the casing and mounted at one end between the lower edge of the outer end wall and the bottom wall 12 is a false bottom or clamping plate 16 freely fitting between the side walls .10 of the casing. The plate 16 is preferably formed from a single piece of suitable resilient sheet metal and may be secured by nails or other suitable fastening devices driven through the bo ttom. wall 12 and through the plate into the front end Wall of the casing. At its opposite end, the plate extends beneath the cross strip 15and coacting with said plate at its free end is a clamping spring 17 As shown in detail in Figure 4,:this spring is preferablyformed from a single length of suitable resilient wire having a straight intermediate portion at the ends of which the wire is bent to de fine crossed longitudinally curved spring arms 18 provided at their free extremities with forwardly directed terminals 19. As

shown in Figure 3, the straight intermediate portion of the spring lies fiat against the bottom wall of the casing and straddling the arms 18 near the lower ends thereof are staples or other suitable fastening devices 20 driven into the inner end wall of the casing for securing the spring thereto. The arms 18 of the spring thus lie close to the inner end wall of the casing while the terminals 19 of said arms project forwardly to engage beneath the free end of the clamping plate 16, the spring arms acting to normally press the plate into engagement with the top strip 15. Mounted upon the outer end wall of the casing is a retaining spring 21. This spring, like the spring 17, is also preferably formed from a length of suitable resilient wire and is provided at its inner end with a laterally directed straight shank 22 on which is formed a lateral terminal 23, the spring curving downwardly from said shank and being preferably provided at a point in its length with a coil 24:. Straddling the shank 22 are staples or other suitable fastening de vices 25 driven into the front end wall of the casing svvingingly securing the spring thereon, the terminal 23 upon the shank of the spring being adapted to engage the lowermost of said staples for restraining the spring against upward displacement. Thus,

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the shank will support the spring to normally bear at its free end against the forward end portion of the clamping plate 16 while the spring may be swung to a position out of the Way lying along the front wall of the casing.

As will now be readily understood in View of the preceding description, the clamping plate 16 may be depressed at its inner end against the tension of the spring arms 18 when arnumber of sheets, as conventionally illustrated at 26, may be positioned Within the casing to project at their free ends between said plate and the cross strip 15. According, when the plate 16 is released, the spring arms will operate to clamp the sheets between the plate and said strip. This done, the spring 21 may then, as shown in Figure 2, be swung away from the outer end wall of the casing and positioned to clamp the sheets at their lower ends. Thus, the sheets will be firmly held within the casing lying flat one upon another. Additional sheets may, in like manner, be superposed upon the sheets already in the drawer and, as will be seen, the clamping plate 16 may recede to accommodate new sheets until the drawer is entirely filled. Furthermore, it is to be noted that by swinging the spring 21 to lie against the front end wall of the casing so as to release the lower ends of the sheets, the sheets may be raised one by one at their lower ends and the sheets thus individually inspected without the necessity for disengaging the sheets at their upper ends or removing the sheets from the casing. I accordingly provide a letter file of particularly eflicient construction and a device adapted for a wide range of use.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A device of the character described including a casing, a cross strip carried thereby, a clan'iping plate mounted at one end within the casing to extend at its opposite end beneath said strip, a spring secured in the casing below the latter end of the plate and bearing against the same to urge it toward the strip, and a spring mounted upon the casing above the opposite end of the plate to bear against a sheet overlying the plate.

2. A device of the character described in cluding a casing, cross strip carried thereby, a clamping plate secured at one end within the casing with its free end disposed beneath said strip, and a spring having crossed arms secured to the end of the easing below the free end of the plate and en gaging at their free ends beneath the free end of the plate to press the same toward said strip.

2:3. A device 01 the character described in cluding a casing having side, end and bottom walls, a cross strip between the side walls at one end of the casing, a clamping plate secured at one end between the bottom wall and the end wall at the opposite end of the casing, the free end of said plate projecting beneath said strip, a spring normally holding the free end of the plate against said strip, and a second spring mounted upon said end wall of the casing to bear against a sheet overlying said plate.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EDWARD ERIGKSON. 11. s] 

